Introducing “Kairi Katch-Up Thursdays”

Today I noticed that my Xbox’s hard drive was filling up. Given my tendency to not replay games, I decided it was time to purge some digital shit. So I began the process of clearing stuff when I realized that I had more Xbox Live Indie Games than I have reviews. Like, a lot more. I’ve done 168 XBLIG reviews, but I’ve got around 260 games on my hard drive. How did this happen?

Then my loving boyfriend reminded me that I bought around $100 worth of XBLIG games when I started IndieGamerChick in July. We spent a few days just watching trailers for XBLIGs on Youtube and purchasing the games. The thing is, I figured nobody would read me, so I wouldn’t have to worry about sticking to new releases. I mean, who knew that anyone would actually read this shit? Besides, I’ve gotten bored with every other would-be hobby I’ve been trying to find since I turned 18. Why would this be any different? A week or two tops and I would be looking into something else, like Etch-a-Sketch, or paragliding. Or Etch-a-Gliding, which I invented just now and it totally fucking rocks.

Well, obviously I’m here to stay. And that’s all well and good, but I’m also a penny-pinching tightwad, and the thought that I downloaded nearly 100 games that I haven’t played made me sick to my stomach. So what do I do with them? Well, I’ll review them, exactly the same as I’ve done with 168 other games. But I’ll let YOU guys decide what order I review them in, and include YOUR comments in the reviews. Who knows, if the feature works, I’ll probably add some other games to the queue.

Below is a list of the games that I have that I haven’t reviewed. Now, I have played some of the games, and I’ll make a note if that’s the case. It doesn’t mean I won’t review them. It just means the game isn’t fresh for me. Others might be off-limits due to my epilepsy. Again, I’ll note it if that’s the case. The selection of the game will not be based on total votes, but rather which game receives the most convincing endorsement. Voting will take place on Twitter all week, every week, with the selection taking place on Wednesdays and the review going up on Thursday. Or possibly on Fridays if I’m lazy.

And to celebrate the launch of this feature, I’ll be giving away a 1600 Microsoft Points code on April 5 to one lucky person who participates via voting. Vote early and vote often, but you’re limited to one entry per week. The code is only valid in the United States. If you’re not an American, you can still participate, but I can’t provide you with a replacement prize. Make sure you follow me on Twitter so that I can provide you with the winning prize code. Ah, see what I did there? This is also a way to get new followers on Twitter. Sneaky. I should work in a way to get you to follow me on Facebook too.

Here are the games. This page will be updated as games are reviewed, or new games added. Kairi Katch-Up Thursdays officially starts on March 15. So start voting now!

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28 Responses to Introducing “Kairi Katch-Up Thursdays”

Lumi is an absolutely beautiful game, and is definitely on my list of “must-haves” for the Xbox 360. It’s got a unique control technique which is very easy to understand but tricky to master, and the difficulty curve is just right. For me, it supplied the exactly correct amount of frustration, making me desperately want to get past a particular section even though I was almost throwing the controller across the room in pure, intense anger.

The attention to detail in the graphics and gameplay is outstanding. The music is unintrusive and atmospheric. It’s a real joy to play.

At 240 points it’s an absolute steal. Even if it was a 400 (or possibly 800) point game it would be worth it. It’s the type of game Microsoft should be promoting as a flagship for the quality that some of the XBLIG developers are capable of. I can’t think of a single thing about this game that I dislike (although to be fair it’s been a few months since I played it so I could have forgotten them).

No, I’m not a shill for the developers; I just really, really like the game. Hopefully you’ll agree, though it will be interesting to see if you completely disagree with what I’ve written :)

Other games? Inertia is an interesting concept which IIRC was developed as a university project, but it’s very very easy.

Techno Kitten Adventure is an amusing distraction, but yeah, probably not one for people with photosensitive epilepsy (especially the Meat Pack level where the screen shakes up and down and flips back and forth constantly).

I like Bloody Checkers and need to play more of it. I’ve really only just started, but the combination of surprising depth and ongoing developer support really makes it stand out. It’s a shame the title doesn’t.

I bought Treasure Treasure a while back but never actually sat and played it. I should do that soon. It’s definitely a fun game, but the Game Boy-like aesthetic might rub people the wrong way if they aren’t nostalgia lovers (which Kairi is infamously not).

Arkedo Series PIXEL (Easily one of the most original looking platformer I’ve seen in a while. Oh yeah: it’s fun to play too! :) )

Along Came A Spider (Nice little platformer/puzzle game with spider stuff. Liked the demo.)

CarneyVale Showtime (Seemed like some ridiculous ragdoll fun from what I’ve seen of it)

FortressCraft (If you haven’t played Minecraft, you might like it if you’re a creative gamer. Otherwise, you’ll mess around with it for a few hours and then will be done with it. Either awesome or crap, depending on you.)

The Impossible Game (Both of them and you MUST complete all of them. Should end up in some interesting articles.)

**radiangames Joyjoy (don’t play this one: it’ll certainly end up bad. Good game though)